My Favorite Author

My favorite author is a woman named Kristin Hannah. This is a link to her website and here is her picture.

I found my first book by her when I was shopping in Costco. The cover caught my eye.

She really captures her characters in her stories, where you feel like they are really friends of yours or members of your family. I hate it when her books end, as I feel like I will miss the characters.

Some of the other books of hers I've read include:

I would really recommend Firefly Lane as a first book to read by her, though the books aren't in a series. It was my first book, and I was hooked after that.

According to her website, it looks like I have 8 other books of hers that I haven't read yet, and that is exciting to me. Christmas is coming up, and maybe someone will give me a giftcard for a bookstore, or Santa will come through?

I really like reading and wish I had more time to do so. It seems I only have time right before I go to sleep at night and within about 10 minutes or so, I am ready for sleep.

What are some of your favorite books?

Assignment for 1/3/11: My Favorite Band or Book/Author

Blog It! Club members, this week's assignment is to write about your favorite band or book and/or authors.

For this assignment, you will need to do a little research on the internet as well, and as long as you stay focused on your topic, it will be allowed.

In 150 words or more, you need to write a blog post that includes:
*What your favorite band is or who your favorite author or book is
*Why it is your favorite
*Some suggestions you would give your reader to listen to or read
*A website your reader can go to to get more information about your band or favorite book or author
*A photo of the band, book, or author

Also, last, be sure to ask a question of your reader to help them have something to comment about!

I will do a model post on the assignment as well.

One of my Favorite Hobbies: Blogging

I really enjoy blogging, and more than I enjoy writing, I really enjoy reading other peoples' blogs, learning more about them, finding good recipes, getting good ideas for projects for my son, and overall, hearing great stories that make me laugh, or sometimes even make me want to cry.

You see, I used to be a journal writer. I have been writing since I was 12 years old, recording such things as what I may have gotten as a gift for a birthday, a boy I may have liked, the details of a fight I got into with a friend. As I got into adulthood, I found that journaling was a way for me to get my thoughts together and brainstorm ideas for solutions to problems I might have or need to work out (like a new schedule for myself, or make an important decision). While I was pregnant with - if you're reading, that was 150 words, right there - my son, I would make lists of possible names for him even.

A friend then turned me on to blogging by sharing her blog with me. She used it almost like a diary, which I didn't care for much, as I didn't want to share my personal thoughts "outloud" with my readers. I thought it might be a great place for me to share stories and photos about my family though, after my son was born, so that family members who live as far away as Germany, could keep up with his growth and what we were doing.

I've since started a second blog, just for myself, where I write for other readers like myself, moms who work or stay-at-home, and have great ideas and stories to share. Here are some of my favorites if you'd like to see them:

This one has great household organizing ideas: Simple Organized Living
This one has great ideas for toddler activities: Spell Out Loud
This one has a great place, on Wednesdays, to link your own posts and look at MANY others' blogs: We Are THAT Family. Just click on that link, scroll down, and see how many people have linked their blog posts there. I often do one there and get a lot of readers.

I don't have as much time as I'd like to post on my blogs. I at least try to do two times a week on my personal one, and at least three times a week on my family one.

Can you set a goal of posting more than once a week on your personal blog? I could almost guarantee more people will want to read your blog if you do!

Re-Focus Day One: Assignment on Hobbies

Blog It! Club members,
As you've read, we're doing a bit of a restructure. Each week, you will be required to:
1) Do a post related to the assignment, of at least 150 words, completed all requirements,
2) Comment on at least 2 club members' posts
and
3) Write a post of your own, of at least 100 words, regarding something you specifically want to speak to your readers about.

For #1, this week's assignment is the following:

We each have something we absolutely love to do. What is it that you love to spend your time doing?
 In 150 words or more, in essay format, with complete sentences, and paragraphs, tell your readers (remember, they are your audience):
what is it you love to do
include many reasons why (using lots of descriptive words)
include one or more photos or images from the web
and ask a question at the end of your post, prompting your readers to comment with an answer